Windmill



Dec. 12, 1933. w POPE 1,939,317

WINDMILL Filed May 5, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l .13 12 2W 5 15 Lmlhh v i2 -5 Dec. 12, 1933. w a POPE 1,939,317

WINDMILL Filed May 3, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 windmill.

Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention is directed to an improvement in windmills of the type wherein the moving body of air is directed into an air chamber and from the air chamber into an open central passage or court, the passage of the air through the air chamber being utilized to operate a series of windwheels, with the power developed by the several windwheels communicated to a single power shaft for power purposes.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a center court and a surrounding air chamber providing an uninterrupted continuous compartment, with diverging elements arranged beyond the air chamber to direct the air from any direction into and throughout the air chamber; the air admission to the air chamber being controlled by automatically operated flaps or doors, and windwheels being arranged in the air chamber, all of which are open to and operated by air admission from any particular direction.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an automatically controlled air release operating at the upper end of the air chamber and opened under undue air pressure in said chamber to thereby relieve excessive wind pressure and avoid the possibility of conflicting air currents which would interfere with the proper operation of the windwheel.

The invention is illustrated in ing drawings, wherein:'

Figure 1 is a perspective view oi the improved the accompany- Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. 1 Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2. The improved windmill is made up of an appropriate framework composed of metallic. sections 1 in the form of uprights which outline a central court 2 fully and freely open at the top; The frame structure includes partitions 3 which radiate beyond and with respect to an air chain,-

ber 4, the partitions 3' extending throughout the full height of the windmill and forming at their free outer ends a series of spaces into which the air under pressure according to winddirection may freely enter and, by reason of the' converging side walls of each particular space provided by the partitions, the velocity of such air will be slightly increased in its flow toward the air chamber.

The space beyond the central court is formed to provide an annular air chamber 4 which immediately surrounds the central court 2 and becessationfiof air movement.

yond which relative to the central court the diverging, regularly spaced partitions 3 extend. The air chamber is normally closed against the space between the partitions beyond such chamber, though designed to be freely open to such space under a predetermined air pressure developed by the wind velocity, in order to permit such air under pressure to enter the air chamber at selected points for the development of the power to be later described. r

To provide for normally closing the air chamber against the space between the partitions 7 while permitting communication between these parts under predetermined air pressure, the relatively outer wall of the air chamber is made up Q between each pair of partitions by a series of doors or flaps 5 supported at their upper ends on transverse shafts 6, with the lower end'of each door limited in its relative outward movement by contact with the shaft of the next lower door. 7 Thus, the doors normally hang by gravity in closed position, and the arrangement is such that under air pressure incident to wind velocity, the doors are swung on the shafts 6 to permit the free entrance of such air under pressure and immediately gravitate to closed position upon There is thus arranged a central court fully open at the upper end and communicating with an uninterrupted annular air chamber entirely 5 surrounding the court, with the outer side of the air chamber made up of a plurality of flaps or doors heldjnormally closed by gravity and responding. to air under pressure incident to wind velocity to move to open position to thereby per- 0 mit free flow of such air under pressure into the air chamber and through the latter into the fully open central chamber'through which the air is naturally drawn 'for escape at the top. The air under pressure, according to wind velocity and 5 direction, is caused to cooperate with certain doors or flaps of the air chamber through the medium of outwardly diverging partitions which extend beyond the air chamber and through which the air is not only directed toward and into the air chamber-but slightly increased in velocity during this movement incidentto the converging relation of the partitions.

, Windwheels 'l'mounted on ahorizontal axis 8 are arranged in the air chamber, being posil05 opposite each entrant door to the air chamber to the minimum in which a comparatively small number of windwheels may be scattered throughout the full area of the air chamber. Obviously, of course, the air moving from any direction under a pressure sufficient to open the doors of the air chamber will insure effective operation of all windwheels in the entire air chamber, the relief of the air under pressure beyond the windwheels being through the open central chamber which acts in the nature of a flue to insure not only the effective escape of the air but an actual pull upon the air delivered from the windwheels by reason of the created suction. the air under pressure of the wind velocity cooperating with the windwheels will cause a more or less rapid movement of said windwheels, with entire avoidance of back pressure on the windwheels incident to the free passage and substantial suction draft on the air beyond the windwheels.

The respective axles 8 of the windwheels may, through radial shafts 9 and gearing 10, direct their power to acentral shaft 11 preferably extending vertically of the central chamber 2, from which central shaft, obviously actuated by the power of all operating windwheels, appropriate takeoffsfor the use of the developed power may be connected in any appropriate, conventional or desired manner. I

Under extreme wind velocity, it may happen that the central chamber is unable to take care of the air under pressure passingby the windwheels, with the result that there is a tendency to choke the windwheels. In order to provide for this contingency and avoid the disadvantage noted, the upper end of the air chamber is provided with relief elements in the form of doors 12 opening upwardly under pressure from within the air chamber section, these doors beingv arranged on spring hinges 13 which are, of course, so set as to hold-the-door against-opening under other than-the excessive pressure for which" it is desired to compensate. Thatis to say, under ordinary operating pressures, the spring hinges will hold-the doors 12. c1osed and the normal operation will be that previously described. Under excessive air pressure, howevenwhich might have a tendency to choke the operation of the windwheels, the spring hinges yield to permit. the doors 12 to openupwardly and thus provide .a free and directescape of the air under the excessive pressure until when the pressure is reduced to that 'forwhich theapparatusis' designed, the relief doors l2 automatically close and the-air is directed asusualthrough the windwheels and into the central chamber.

It is to be understood that theapparatus as a whole is supported directly onthe groundsurface and is not elevated to an appreciable height by a derrick, frameor the like, as is usual in windmills of this character. This insures the advantage of a ready and convenient inspection and control of the operating parts, with their convenient replacement, renewal, and adjustment when desired. Furthermore, the apparatus as a whole' is capable of extension longitudinally and vertically in order to provide a constructionwhich will produce the desired power, it being apparent that in such size adjustment the only necessary characteristic is the increase of the size of the central chamber and the number of the radial partitions, as the air chamber is naturally in- Thus,

creased by increasing the size of the central chamber, and the sections of the air chamber are naturally increased by the increase in the number of radial partitions.

It is, of course, to be noted that the partitions form dividing areas to collect and direct air moving from any direction, i. e. wind into the air chamber, and by reason of the uninterrupted area within the air chamber, this air entering from any direction will create the necessary pressure within the entire air chamber to operate all the windwheels therein. Thus, no matter from what direction the wind may be blowing at the moment, the apparatus is completely effective, for the air when directed into the air chamber from any direction by reason of the partitions is fully and completely effective for windwheel operation.

I claim:-

1. A windmill including a central chamber fully open at the top, an annular air chamber surrounding the central chamber, compartments surrounding and opening into the annular airv chamber, a series of doors controlling the communication between each compartment and the air chamber, said doors opening under external wind pressure and closing by gravity, power elements responsive to air pressure arranged between the air chamber and central chamber, and a power shaft connected with said power elements.

2. A windmill including a central air chamber fully open atthe top, an unrestricted air chambersurrounding the central chamber, windwheels arranged between the air chamber and central chamber, partitions radiating beyond the air chamber to provide separate air admission compartments, and doors in superimposed relation normally closing eachcompartment against the air chamber, said doors opening under air pressure and closing by gravity.

3. A windmill, including a central chamber fully open at the top, and an unrestricted surroundingair chamber, power means between the air chamber and central chamber, automatically closing air pressure opening means for, directly admitting air under pressure throughout a limited area to the air chamber, and means forrelieving theair chamber of excess pressure.

4. A windmill including a' central chamber openatthe top, an unrestricted air chamber surrounding the central chamber, power means between the airchamber' and central chamber, alrdirecting compartments arranged beyond the air chamber, doors in superimposed seriesbetween each-compartment" and the airchamber, said doors opening under air pressure and closing by gravity, and air-relief doors-at the, upper end of thea'ir chamber.

5. Awindmill including a central chamber fully open at the top, an unrestricted air chamber surrounding the central chamber, power means between the air chamber and central chambena seriesof partitions radiating beyond the air WILLIAM s.; POPE. 

